Oma is a lot better, and the question of her surviving this has been answered by our prayers. She's being weaned off the respirator, has been breathing for short periods on her own, and will be out of intensive care Real Soon Now. Opa, two of my Uncles and my Tante Lia visited her yesterday, and she was talking and griping about getting outta there. (I take after my Oma)
Since we aren't going to have to take a grief-stricken panic trip to Germany, Bob and I hashed it out last night, and here's what we're going to do:
- Get me to the pulmonologist tomorrow to develop a game plan that will let me be well enough to go to Germany after Oma is out of the hospital, and home recovering. We're thinking 2-3 months.
- Talk to DD's teachers. Get her far enough ahead in school that a week or so in Europe won't be a problem.
- I have to actually follow doctors' orders for once, instead of trying to second guess them myself. (this will be hard for me)
- We're going to take a week or so before winter is over (so the pollen and farm stuff won't get to me), take DD, and go to Bavaria. For two days. Really. We're going to stay in the "hotel" in my grandparent's village, and just show our faces at the house. We won't stay there or allow them to wait on us, even though that will tick them off a little. Mostly, they want to be able to say that we came to visit them, and that they saw us, but entertaining us is far too much for them.
- For the rest of the trip, We're going to take it slow and easy. My favorite Lufthansa flight, which is always on-time and no hassles, which will get us to Germany in the early morning. Once we get to the airport, we'll rent a car, then drive a half hour to one of my other Tante's homes. (Mom has a lot of siblings - there are six of them, and one aunt lives quite near Frankfurt) I'll spend a day or three resting before we make the pilgrimage to Bavaria to see the grandparents, and do the same thing on the way back before flying home.
- We'll take all the medical crap with us. I try not to take the oxygen and the CPAP and the nebulizer, blah, blah, blah; but this time we want to be prepared for any contingency. I can always buy clothes there if I don't have room for luggage, but getting medical equipment and such could be more difficult.
Mom will be leaving in two weeks to spend a month or so in Germany. She's going to give my Tante Lia a much needed respite from taking care of Opa, who is out of control because he's so worried about Oma. Also, my mother can drive, and Lia can't, so that will be a huge burden off everyone. Mom is going to [gently] prepare my grandparents for the idea that I'm coming to visit, but that we will stay in a hotel [horrors - what will the neighbors think?] and that we do not need them to feed us. [I'm 41 and my Opa still tries to palm money to me when I visit - he's afraid I can't afford to gas up or whatever. And last time he tried to wash my car for me. How much of a jerk would I be to let a 90 year old guy wash my car?]
While we're in Bavaria, if I'm up to it, we can make the rounds and visit some of the other Tantes and Onkels. If not, then Bob and DD will go to my cousin's house, drop off something for the children and that will be it. If they're all ticked at me, so be it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you guys. DD would like to thank SaraJane especially, for giving her the idea to really fight to be able to go, and the ammunition that if "Mama's up to it, then I sure am." If Oma has a setback, heaven forbid, then we'll handle it as it comes up.
One bad thing, though. There's no way I'll be able to make it to Florida for the Tink-fest. Bob and I argued it from every perspective last night, and I had to admit that [for once] he's really right: I'm not well enough to do this, and he does not want to raise DD alone. If I hope to be able to see my grandparents while they're still alive to enjoy the visit, I have to do whatever it takes to get well enough. I hate to admit he's 100% right. I try to think of myself as invincible, but my body doesn't always cooperate.
Kathy N-V